1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to electrical connectors for power and data interconnections of electronic devices, and more particularly, to a multiple plug sliding adapter with a flexible extension.
2. Related Art
A wide variety of portable electronic devices are currently in existence on the market, with each serving a particular need. For instance, there are electronic readers, music players, gaming consoles, cellular phones, personal digital assistants, digital still and video cameras, GPS/navigation devices, and so on. However, there has been an increasing trend towards the convergence of these divergent functions into a single device, the most typical being the smart phone, and to a lesser extent, slightly larger form factor devices such as tablets. Such devices incorporate general-purpose data processors for which software applications implementing the aforementioned functionalities can be written. Furthermore, these devices have ample memory space to store the applications and related data, as well as various wireless communications modalities such as WiFi and Bluetooth for data transfer convenience. Nevertheless, despite the prevalence and popularity of multi-function devices, the dedicated devices may be preferable to some in certain situations. Accordingly, it is typical for many to carry and use multiple portable electronic devices throughout daily life.
As with any electronic device, continuing functioning depends on the availability of a power source. In almost all cases, portable electronic devices include an on-board battery or at least the capacity to hold and draw power from the same. There are some devices such as those specific to in-vehicle use and an external DC power source is always available, and in which case, an on-board battery may not be necessary. When interior space in the device is not restricted, and the device does not draw much electrical power or is not intended for constant use, standard configuration disposable batteries such as AA, AAA, and the like may be used. However, many slim form factor devices require a uniquely configured battery that fits within the limited confines of the housing, and access thereto for replacement upon power depletion may be limited. Accordingly, such devices incorporate on-board charging circuits that are connectible to external adapters.
An electronic device can be connected to a power source in several different ways. One of the simplest modalities is an AC power adapter with a coaxial connector plug that is received within a corresponding socket on the device. Depending on the current carrying capacity, the size and shape of the plug and sockets may be varied. This variety and lack of standardization amongst manufacturers led to the proliferation of numerous proprietary, manufacturer-specific connectors and adapters that were not compatible with other devices with similar power requirements. Accordingly, there has been a drive towards standardizing power connections for portable electronic devices.
Many manufacturers now utilize the Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector to supply power to its devices, and in particular, the Micro-B plug. Of course, the USB connector is primarily a data transfer link and is therefore suitable for devices such as smart phones and music players that connect to general purpose computers to download data therefrom. Additionally, however, the USB standard defines one line for supply 5V DC power to interconnected devices, thereby eliminating the need for separate power adapters and connections. Despite the widespread adoption of USB/Micro-B connector plugs, some manufacturers have developed alternative connector plugs believed to be superior for application in their devices. These include the 30-pin dock connector and the Lighting connector both developed by Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.
Thus, many still face the difficulty and inconvenience associated with keeping multiple adapters and cables to power and charge different devices. There are devices known in the art for switching between one plug standard and another, where a conversion adapter with a socket for one standard and an output plug in another standard can be detached from a primary plug connected to the data/power source. With the output plug being integral with the conversion adapter, there are certain disadvantages appurtenant to the concentration of multiple failure points of each socket-plug interface along the chain of interconnections in a single structural unit. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved multi-plug sliding adapter with a flexible extension.